Greater cleveland sports hall of fame

Arnie Risen

Induction Year: 2008 Sport: Basketball

There were no outbreaks of frenzied jubilation on High Street when the news unobtrusively leaked out that a tall l (6-9), rather skinny (210 lbs) basketball center nicknamed â€œSlatsâ€ had transferred to Ohio State from Eastern Kentucky State Teacherâ€™s College. There should have been. In two seasons with the Buckeyes he would help lead them to two NCAA Final Four appearances, just the schoolâ€™s second and third times ever in that elite company. He left as unobtrusively as he arrived the next season to sign a pro contract with the Indianapolis Kautskys of the National Basketball League which would launch a 12-year professional career that would eventually lead to his election to the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of fame in 1998. After two seasons in the NBL he joined a group of stars including George Mikan, Jim Pollard and Red Holzman who jumped before the 1947-48 season to the rival Basketball Association of America which would morph to the NBA. Competing with the Rochester Royals from 1948 to 1955 and the Boston Celtics from 1955 to 1958 he would play on two NBA championship teams (Rochester in 1951 and on Bostonâ€™s first NBA title team in 1957) and was a four-time All-Star, scoring 7,633 points during his career. He has for many years made his home in Pepper Pike.